


From the Ashes We will rise

by K_Sytten



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Don't copy to another site, Fix-It, Gen, Non-Romantic Focus, Non-existent Morgan Stark, Non-existent Vision, Not Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Compliant, Steve Rogers bashing, Team Iron Man, Time Travel, Tony Stark-centric, not team Cap friendly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-18 15:55:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21279341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_Sytten/pseuds/K_Sytten
Summary: Everything was over.The most important battle in the universe, the battle for the life of half of said universe.Lost.The battle was over, but maybe, just maybe, we could still win the war.------------In which Tony Stark goes back in time, because there's no way we're letting the big genocidal purple grape get away with the snap.
Comments: 14
Kudos: 80





	From the Ashes We will rise

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm in no way happy with how the MCU treated Tony. No way. #TonyStarkDeservedBetter I understand that RDJ wanted to get out, the contract was over, or whatever the case, but couldn't they give him a happy ending? Seriously, if someone deserved his happy ever after it was Tony, HE HAD A DAUGHTER FOR GOD'S SAKE! LET HIM BE HAPPY!!! 
> 
> But, alas, Tony died and Cap went back in time to live with Peggy... ... ... ... 
> 
> I CALL BULLSHIT! WHAT THE HECK! 
> 
> Wasn't there something about not messing with the time stream or risking creating alternate timelines? Strange?! Are you anywhere near?! STRANGE! OR MORDO! COME HERE MORDO! KICK CAPTAIN SPANGLES' ASS! 
> 
> So, I'm salty that Cap had a 'happy' ending, and no one will convince me otherwise, because even if there's no paradox because he was destined to close the loop or whatever, he didn't know that, so his desicion was selfish af, with no consideration for the timelines.
> 
> Anyways, I don't own anything Marvel and this is just my catharsis. As always, follow the sage advice of DON'T LIKE DON'T READ, the tags are pretty clear, if you are a fan of Steve Rogers, go back right now and look for something else to read, no one is forcing you to read this. 
> 
> I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO READ OFFENSIVE COMMENTS! TROLLS BEGONE! *throws holy water everywhere*
> 
> For those who do like Tony-centric fics, where Cap doesn't get a free pass for being a selfish Bucky-centered asshole. Welcome my friends!
> 
> Also, for the record, while I may be a Steve-hater, I'm not a Bucky hater, so he won't get quite as much negative narrative, it'll be neutral at worse.

It was over.

_“If we can’t protect the Earth, you can be damn sure we’ll avenge it.”_

It was a farce, a total, useless farce.

Avenging.

The Avengers.

What did it matter now? When half the universe was gone.

_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust._

God, the kid… That kind, genius, innocent kid.

He was gone.

Gone.

Just like half the universe.

Gone from his arms, in his arms.

_“I don’t wanna go Mr. Stark, I don’t want to go….”_

What was he going to tell May? Did it even matter? It’s not like he was going see the Earth again in this life, stranded as he was, in a spaceship, with only a blue assassin/ex-Thanos’ minion for company. He didn’t even know if there was someone to tell something to, for all he knew May was gone too, gone with the snap that killed his kid.

No more Peter, no more May.

He wasn’t even sure what was better, what was worse, the fact that May would possibly not be there to grieve Peter, that there may be one less person in the world who knew him, or that she would be, would it be selfish to want to know that there were others who understood his pain?

_Yes, it was._

But again, he never claimed to be anything but a selfish bastard.

Never claimed to be a hero.

No, that was Rogers. With his holier-than-thou attitude and ‘the safest hands are our own’ bullshit.

He had _time._

Not enough, mind you. It would never be enough. But he had time.

Time wasted in fighting between themselves, in covering up the disasters the rest of his ‘team’ left in their wake.

So much went wrong there, from the beginning.

_HYDRA._

_Stane._

_Rogers._

_Wanda._

_Ultron._

It was one tragedy over another.

To think that one day he would miss Loki and his glorious purpose, _that_, at least, was easily contained by the Hulk.

Bruce, his Brucie-bear. Was he okay? Would he be okay?

Rodhey, his platypus. There was no helping him, too loyal to know when to leave. But that was why he was his Rodhey.

Happy, his grumpy Happy my-name-is-Harold Hoggan. He didn’t pay him enough to endure all the shit he went through, as his employee, or as his friend.

And Pepper… Pepper… his Pepper. It was not like he didn’t knew he was avoiding thinking about her. There was so much lost there, his future, _their_ future.

Just when things were starting to look better, after Ultron, after Sokovia… after everything that could go wrong went wrong.

He wanted to rage against the world, against Thanos for imposing his genocidal tendencies to the universe, against Quill for fucking everything with his grief, against Rogers for fucking everything with his bull-headedness, against Natasha for being a backstabbing bitch, against Clint for coming out of retirement instead of spending time with his family, against Wanda for never apologizing for invading his mind, against Fury for being a lying liar who lies, against Obie for being a backstabbing godfather, though him at least he could understand, Obie was greedy, no more, no less, it hurt, but he understood the reasoning of it.

_Still, it hurt damnit._

He wanted to rage against Howard for being a shitty father too_._

And then he wanted to rage against Vision, for having J.A.R.V.I.S.' voice but nothing of him, against Pepper for loving him so much when he didn’t deserve it, against Happy for always choosing to stay, against Rodhey for not choosing a better friend, against Bruce for hating so much of himself, against the kid for being to good for this world.

Tony Stark _wanted_, he wanted so much.

But he was tired.

So _damn_ tired.

Tired of fighting, tired of raging, tired of being let down, tired of letting others down, tired of being, of not being, of trying to atone for what he did and didn’t do.

So, so tired.

And in which could be his final moments, Tony Stark grieved.

Because your heart doesn’t stop feeling because you want to stop feeling, doesn’t stop crying because you want to stop crying.

Tony Stark should have been used to not getting what he wanted.

_He wasn't. _

So, he grieved.

For what was and what couldn’t be, for what he lost and what he gained, only to lose it again, for those he loved and who loved him.

Tony Stark grieved for the world, for the universe.

_And the universe grieved for him. _

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty short right now because I have this idea that prologues are like that, and mostly like a teaser, which sometimes makes or doesn't make sense but welcomes you to the story. I don't have an schedule to update this. But I'll try not to dissapear.


End file.
